Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is revered as one of the greatest athletes in the history of Los Angeles sports, and he helped recruit another phenom to the Southern California sports scene more than three years after his death.
Before agreeing to a record-setting 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani was shown a video by the franchise recorded by Bryant in 2017 that made the case for him to sign with the club, according to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez and Jeff Passan.
The video was recorded the same year Ohtani agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Angels following a career in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.
Gonzalez and Passan wrote:
“Now, more than three years after his death in a helicopter crash, Bryant’s reputation as the ultimate competitor spans all sports, and his message to Ohtani registered the same posthumously in 2023 as it would have then: There’s no better place in the world to win than Los Angeles, and there’s no better team in baseball to win with than the Dodgers.”This was their best pitch—the equivalent of Ohtani’s sweeper to Mike Trout that ended the World Baseball Classic—and it suggested that even if 2012 and 2017 weren’t the time for Ohtani and the Dodgers, now was. Now was when he could build a legacy beyond the two American League Most Valuable Player awards and his reputation as the most talented player ever into something even better: championship rings.”
Bryant, who won five NBA titles with the Lakers and achieved countless individual accolades, died in a tragic helicopter crash in January 2020 along with his daughter, Gianna Bryant, and seven others.
Ohtani was introduced as a Dodger on Thursday following a six-year career with the Angels. He told reporters through his interpreter that he prioritizes winning, which was a big reason he decided to sign with the Dodgers.
The Dodgers own the best odds to win the 2024 World Series following the signing of Ohtani at +425, per DraftKings Sportsbook, though they should be contenders for the title each season for the foreseeable future.
